-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The Cannes Film Festival entrusted its opening to a Pixar film , and the animation studio did not disappoint .

An adventurous boy and a cranky man travel by unusual means in the new Pixar film `` Up . ''

Pixar , which has produced such gems as `` Toy Story , '' `` The Incredibles '' and `` WALL-E , '' introduced its latest feature , `` Up , '' on Wednesday night at the French movie celebration .

By critics ' reckonings , Pixar has never released a bad film , and those who saw `` Up , '' its 10th feature , say the studio 's perfect record is still intact .

The film is a `` captivating odd-couple adventure that becomes funnier and more exciting as it flies along , '' wrote Variety 's Todd McCarthy . `` The two leading men are 78 and 8 years old , and the age range of those who will appreciate the picture is even a bit wider than that . '' Gallery : Pixar in pictures ''

`` It 's a terrific family adventure , '' wrote Peter Bradshaw of Britain 's The Guardian . `` The 3-D presentation gives it a real boost , but this film is airborne because of the traditional strengths : story , characterization and inventive animation with the old-fashioned values of clarity and simplicity . '' See the excitement of Cannes ' opening ''

`` Up '' concerns Carl Fredericksen , a balloon seller voiced by Ed Asner . Faced with eviction after his wife dies , Fredericksen decides to uproot himself -- literally -- by attaching hundreds of balloons to his house and flying it to South America .

However , it turns out he 's not alone . A stowaway -- a Junior Wilderness Explorer named Russell -LRB- voiced by Jordan Nagai -RRB- -- is in the house as well , and the two of them become mutually dependent after landing a continent away .

The film opens May 29 in the United States .

Cannes audiences are notoriously vocal . They 'll whistle if they 're unhappy -- a French version of a boo -- and a movie that does n't meet the audience 's high standards will be treated to the repeated `` whop '' sounds of theater seats banging shut as patrons leave .

`` Up , '' on the other hand , received little but cheers . CNN 's Natasha Curry , who 's at the festival , reports a morning screening concluded with applause .

It 's an unlikely film to be opening Cannes . Not only is it animated , it 's animated by computer -- and , in some theaters , it will be shown in 3-D . Those are all firsts for a Cannes curtain raiser .

But the Los Angeles Times ' Kenneth Turan told CNN that `` Up '' fits in with Cannes ' aspirations .

`` Cannes likes to be seen as innovative , likes to be seen as embracing something new , '' Turan observed . `` But really the reason ` Up ' is opening the festival is not because it 's animated , not because it 's 3-D , it 's ... because it 's a wonderful film . -LSB- Festival organizers -RSB- saw that , and I 'm sure they liked the fact that they could do something avant-garde in terms of technique , but really it 's a wonderful story , it 's a terrific film and that 's why it 's opening . ''

Turan said he sees Pixar 's work , and its recognition by Cannes , as another sign that animated features are among the best films being produced right now .

`` The Pixar films , the Hayao Miyazaki films from Japan , the Wallace and Gromit films from Britain -- we 're really living in the golden age of animation , one of the great ages of animation in the whole history of film , '' he said . `` And Cannes is happy to be part of that . Cannes is happy to recognize that . ''

CNN 's Matthew Carey contributed to this report .

@highlight

`` Up , '' new film from Pixar , opens Cannes Film Festival

@highlight

Critics widely praise animated film -- the usual reaction to Pixar movies

@highlight

Why the opener ? `` It 's a wonderful story , it 's a terrific film , '' critic Kenneth Turan says